It's What the Kids Want: School Stops Serving All-Beef Burgers, Switches Back to Meat with Additives

Thanks to the work of those, like the group Real Food for Kids, who advocated for healthy food in schools, Fairfax County, VA, schools were convinced that they should stop serving burgers that contained 26 additives in favor of all-beef patties during the 2011-2012 school year. But, according to theWashington Post, the school district has switched back to an additive-laden variety, citing student complaints as the major reason for the change. School board members said that the students felt the new burgers didn't look or taste right. Indeed, the all-beef burgers did not contain caramel coloring, which is used in the old version of the burgers and altered the look of the meal.

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Health advocates have criticized the recent change, but Penny McConnell, nutritional service director for the Fairfax School District, explained the decision further: "students are our customers and we listen to them and implement their requests if possible."

While the new hamburgers do not contain pink slime, they do contain additives, preservatives, and caramel coloring. They can also last up to a year in the freezer without going bad.

What do you think of the decision to stop serving all-beef burgers in Fairfax County?